Singer Jimmy Borges was not well enough to sing with the Count Basie Sextet at the Halekulani Tuesday night and some of Hawaii’s top entertainers and broadcasters performed at a fundraiser for retired KHON-TV anchor Kirk Matthews Sunday at HASR Bistro. Both men have stage 4 lung cancer. Kirk is husband of retired TV and radio broadcaster Linda Coble. The fundraiser was organized by their former and current TV news buddies to help with Kirk’s medical expenses. “I have many, many blessings; the top-most blessing is my friends,” Kirk said Tuesday. More than 200 of those friends showed up Sunday. Performing were Melveen Leed, the Makaha Sons, Chris Vandercook’s jazz band and Kimo Kahoano. Emcees were Matt Levi and Leslie Wilcox. Those wishing to help Kirk may contribute to: Friends of Kirk, Bank of Hawaii, P.O. Box 2449, Honolulu, HI 96804 …
“I’M NOT chasing life, I’m living life,” said Jimmy last week. He added that his 81st birthday will be June 1 and reaching that birthday will make him “very, very happy.” Jimmy received a huge response after he gave me permission on Saturday afternoon to release the info in the Star-Advertiser about his liver cancer returning and spreading to his lungs. I wrote a column about the bad news and my long close friendship with Jimmy. After my column appeared, I received much response including emails suggesting doctors and healers. Jimmy sends his thanks to those people for their concern but says he will not undergo more treatment and is “living life” …
THE SOLID Basie group was terrific Tuesday night in Halekulani’s Lewers Lounge, playing numbers ranging from the Calypso- inspired “St. Thomas” to George and Ira Gershwins’ “Our Love Is Here to Stay.” They let the songs run long, giving each musician ample time to solo and include occasional tasty exchanges between trumpeter Scotty Bainhart and tenor sax man Doug Lawrence. Bainhart, who has beautiful tone on his horn, said he had been looking forward to meeting Jimmy and dedicated “The Nearness of You” to the singer. Jimmy was so pleased and honored when I told him about it Wednesday morning. He said he felt terrible he could not be there. Other members of the group in the first show were drummer David Gibson, Trevor Ware on stand-up bass and pianist Reg Thomas. Singer Monica Mancini and drummer Gregg Field performed in the late show …
NEARLY 100 members of Honolulu’s media, publishing and advertising businesses gathered at Murphy’s Bar & Grill Dec. 2. They came to reminisce about the “old days,” going back to the 1960s. Ted Sturdivant and Jean Dickinson were organizers. Ted, visitor publishing exec, and Jean, new Starwood Hotels’ Hawaii communications director, are both veterans of Trade Publishing Co. Trade was well represented by alums Brett Uprichard, Charlie Harrington, Chris Thometz and Bob Small. Showing up were original KPOI “Poi Boy” Donn Tyler and noted photographer Kim Taylor Reece. Others attending were local writer Lynn Cook, and PR gals Sherri Rigg, Christie Adams and Jeanne Datz Rice. Also there were Crazy Shirts founder and now owner of Rix Island Wear Rick Ralston, Hector Venegas, Kathleen Pellegrin, Frank Haas, Phil Kinnicutt, Anne Murata and Laurie Breeden Callies. One of the youngest old-timers on hand was Pam Davis, publisher of Oahu Concierge, whose late father Rick Davis had Aloha magazine. Karen Winpenny attended. Her mom and dad, Mary and Jim Winpenny, were both in the publishing business …
ANOTHER old-timer at the party was former Star-Bulletin crime reporter and humor columnist Charley Memminger. Charley’s book, “Aloha, Lady Blue (The Mystery of Kahala Road),” is now in paperback. He is donating all of his royalties from the paperback printing to the Hawaiian Humane Society. The mystery’s hero is Stryker McBride, who lives on a houseboat at a Kaneohe Bay yacht club. He’s a tough, smart guy who likes booze and babes. A couple of big German shepherds, Kane and Lono, help him provide security for the club. Woof! I like the way Charley includes his local characters, including some you would not care to run into at night on a dark street in Chinatown. His descriptions of local types and locations come across smoothly. The paperback is published by Watermark and is on sale at Barnes & Noble and BookEnds in Kailua …
Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.
